Improvement in rotary engines



, 3 fleets-sheet 1. A. NOTEMAN. Rotary-Engine.

No. 216.342. Patented June 10, I879.

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WITNESSES T IJVVEJVTOR By I ymToRwExs 3 sheets-sum 2. A. NOTEMAN.Rotary-Engine.

No. 216.342 Patented Junel0,1879.

WITNESSES y j/@ lf/ MM,

, ATTORNEYS N.PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINQTQN. D c

3 Sheets-Sheet 3. A. NOTEMAN. Rotary-Engine.

No..216.3 42. :Patented Jun10,1879.

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J d/FM N- FEI'ERs, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPNER, WASHINBTOPL D, C

W/@M; By

UNITED S ATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALONZO NOTEMAN, or TOLEDO, oruo.

IMPROVEMENT IN ROTARY ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 216,342, dated June10, 1879; application filed March 10,71,879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ALONZO NOTEMAN, of Toledo, in the county of Lucasand State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRotary Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention has for its object to so construct the blades of thepiston, the packingrings, and other parts of the engine that a perfectaction shall be secured by the action of the steam It consists inadmitting steam to the end of the pin inside of and connecting theblades,

in admitting steam to the rear side of the packing-rings, in theconstruction and relative arran gement of the abutment and of the bladesof the piston, and in other improvements, all of which will behereinafter fully explained.

On January 29, 1878, Letters Patent No. 199,737 were granted to me forrotary pumps, and many of the principles shown and described in saidpatent are embodied in and made applicable to the invention of a steamrotary engine, as hereinafter described.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation; Fig. 2, a sideelevation. Fig. 3 is aside elevation with the end plate removed. Fig. 4.is a vertical section. Fig. 5 is an inside face view of one of the heador guide plates. Fig. 6 shows the blades of the piston. Fig. 7 is aperspective of a complete engine. Fig. 8 is a vertical section of thesteam-box, and Fig. 9 is a perspective of the cut-0E. r

a is the casing, composed of the cylinder 0. and end plates a? a withinwhich the piston c revolves. The cylinder to is provided with theinlet-port a and exhaust-port c and the end plates a a have suitablebearings for the axis of the piston c.

The abutment b is made semicircular in form, and so that it fills aboutone-third of the inner space or chamber of the casing. Its ends orpoints I) I) are made to extend past the vertical diameter, so that itoccupies more than half the inner circumference of the casing. The portsa a pass through the points 1) b communicating with the vacuum-chamber aat points close to the piston head 0. The points I) b are made slightlyconcave, so as to provide cam surfaces for actuating the blades 0 of thepiston c in the revolutions of the latter.

The inner openings of the ports a a are arranged so that they areseparated a distance less than the diameter of the vacuum-chamber 0 theobject of which is to secure the continued action of the live steam onthe blade c for nearly an entire revolution of the latter, therebysecuring a more even, regular, and forcible-movement of the piston thanis secured in engines of this class of ordinary construction.

b is a semicircular recess or chamber formed centrally in the face ofthe abutment b. It extends around and covers nearly half the piston c,which revolves within it. This removes the piston largely from thepressure of the steam, which thus acts more directly on the blades 0.

The piston c has the channel or passage 0 in which are placed the blades0, which move back and forth therein. It is secured rigidly to thehead-plates d d, on the inner faces of which are guide-chambers d toreceive the edges and give steadiness to the back-andforth movement ofthe blades 0.

The head-plates d have cut around their rims rabbets 01 made to litsnugly over packing-rin gs c, which latter are seated steam-tight incircular grooves c a cut in the cylinder it around the vacuum-chamber aand abutment b, as shown in Fig. 3. The faces of the headplates (1 fitsnugly against the sides of the abutment b and on the narrow bearing binside the packing-ring c.

The axles f, to which the head-plates and piston are affixed, arejournaled in the end plates a a? of the casing to, and have 011 theirouter ends the necessary crank, fly-wheel, and pulleys for driving theattached machinery.

The blades 0 are connected by the pins 0 in suitable correspondingmortises. In the side of each blade is formed a small orifice oropening, 0 which admits steam to the end ofthe connecting-pin c and thusthe blades are made to extend to adapt themselves to the varyingdiameters of the chamber a by the pressure of the steam on said pin. Theblades have formed on their outer corners the projections or lips 0which extend upon the sides of the abutment b and the bearing b andinsure a steadier motion.

e are small steam-passages which connect the channels or .grooves 6 withthe steampassage from the steam box. Steam is admitted through thepassages c to the rear or inner edge of the packin g-rings e, and thelatter are thereby kept pressed outward and firmly packed in the rabbetsd in the faces of the head-plates d, as shown in Fig. 4.

g is the steam chest or box, placed on the upper side of the casing, andhaving the inlet port g and exit-port 9 which latter communicates withthe inlet-port a in the casing a.

The steam-chesthas journaled in it the axle or shaftg which passesthrough the steam-chamher, and has on one of its outer ends a suitablecrank, 9 which is connected by a pitman, g with the crank on the axle f.v

The portion 9 of the shaft 9 within the steam-chest is made rectangular,or of any other suitable form adapted to hold and control the movementsof the cut-off valve h.

The cut-ofi valve his placed over port 9 and it is operated by aswinging or oscillating movement. It is constructed with a channel ormortise, h, in its upper side, which corresponds with the shape ofandfits upward upon the part 9 of the shaft 9 It is put on the shaft sothat it is held rigidly in place, except that it can move verticallydownward, thus providing against wear, and preserving at all times asteam-tight fit. The valve swings or oscillates over the port 9 which itopens and closes twice in each revolution of the piston through themedium of the connecting-pitman The steam exhausts twice from thechamber a in each full revolution of the cylinder.

In the revolutions of the piston, the port a is opened, and the livesteam let in upon the upper bladebefore the exh aust-port a is opened.

The live steam flows in until the upper blade has made about one-quarterof a revolution, when the valve It cuts off the onward flow, and theblade is driven to the exhaust-port by the expansive power alone of thesteam. Thus, it will be seen, the engine is operated half the time bythe direct action and the other half by the expansive property alone ofthe steam. By this arrangement great economy is secured over ordinaryengines, in which a continuous stream of live steam is necessary totheir efiicient operation.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a complete engine constructed according to myinvention. It is unique and compact in form; is substantial and durable,and can be made cheaply.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-- y 1. In a rotary engine, the blades 0 coupled bya pin, 0 and having holes 0 communicating with the mortises or holescontaining the ends of the coupling-pin. substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. In arotary engine, the blades 0 constructed with the lips orprojections c to extend upon the sides of the abutment b and the bearingb substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a rotary engine, the combination of the cylinder at, having portsor. e and grooves or channels 6 surrounding the vacuum-chamber a andabutment b, the head-plates 01, supportin gthe piston and axles, andprovided with rab-' bets or channels 01 around their rims, and thecircular adjustable packing rings 0 placed within the channels 6 andpressed outward against the head-plates, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

ALONZO .NOTEMAN.

Witnesses:

J. M. HUESTON, A. B. RICHARDS.

